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Feel The Bern!

Good morning, y’all. With rumors of ice and snow flying about like moths to a street light, I’m making sure that TackyToo is as prepared as we can be for inclimate weather. Fortunately, I’m making sure my duties keep me inside. I bet I’ve filled the vending machines about four times today, while managing to keep up with my painting. I plan on having the interior painting done by March 1st, or consistent 70 degree days, whichever comes first.

Unlike the Republican Debate potluck, I was prepared for the Democratic Debate. First of all, there’s less setting up to do. Even if we do get a few die hard Republicans, who watch just to hoot at Hillary, the turn out is not nearly as big as it is for the Republican shindig. Thank the Lord, I know that my spot in Whitopia is not reflective of the country’s demographics. If it was, all Republicans would be living in trailer parks with gun racks in their pickups.

There is an odd dichotomy between billionaires telling welfare folks how the poor are the problem, and having the poor agree with them. As long as the billionaires can put black or brown faces on the problem, the poor in TackyToo have no problem with The Donald calling the poor, “losers”. It is beyond my comprehension to try to understand how people who were born into poverty, into a system that promotes keeping them in poverty, can identify with a candidate who is richer than Croesus. The disconnect in thinking that the rich represent the values and needs of the poor, to me, is profound. At the very least, the folks here in TackyToo should be thinking, “what do I have in common with The Donald financially?” Besides the shared love of hating people of color, the rich and the poor have very little in common. It’s sad that that is enough for some. They’d rather stay poor than be middle class in a diverse neighborhood.

Well, now that I’ve talked the downside, let me talk the other side. How refreshing is it to see just three candidates walk out on a stage? The Democrat debates are an example of high spirited discussion between intelligent opponents vying for the same office. While O’Malley didn’t get as much time as Hillary or Bernie, he did get enough time to remind us old timers of a young Jack Kennedy. How O’Malley can use his youth and vitality to energize the voters is a question that I can’t answer. Bernie’s lead with the youthful voters is an anomaly to me. I get that the young people are listening to the message, and that is very important, but electability has to come into play. At some point the “undecided” or “independent” voters are going to figure in the equation, and I don’t think the youth vote will be strong enough to elect him. That is, if Bernie were the candidate.

I don’t see Bernie coming out of the convention with the nod, unless the Republicans are successful in finding something to smear Hillary with. Always a possibility. Even so, Bernie’s message is too far Left for the power brokers, and that’s got all of the 1% shaking, in both parties. The good news is that Bernie’s message is having to be heard and rebutted in these debates. It’s making Hillary run to the Left, and I think we’re all ready for that. I’m tired of the Democratic party being Republican Lite, even more tired than I am of the Republicans being Fascist Left. I miss the days when Republicans were fiscally conservative Democrats, and Democrats were the dreamers of the future. Dreamers as described in Obama’s State of the Union address, where we invest in a future of new technologies instead of clinging to the past.

I’m all about the future, one of the reasons that O’Malley is so appealing. They are all good candidates. I love Bernie, I just don’t think Woody Allen’s irascible uncle can get elected. I think O’Malley is great, and I would love to see him elected President after serving as Hillary’s Vice-President for eight years.

Hillary 2016, it’s the women’s turn to see if they can get it right. I’m counting on them!